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Paolo Isgro: Triton Bay Indonesia

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As an underwater photographer there are three main reasons to go to Triton Bay: wide angle, whale sharks, and macro.

Reef scape and fish density is superlative. The soft coral is at its best. What impressed me so much was the sea and the land seems to mix together. Sometimes I found myself diving in just few meters to shoot the beautiful soft coral and the jungle in the background. Black coral create forests so extensive you can see nowhere else. However, the price you have to pay for such density and biodiversity is visibility. It is not always so good, and has a green color cast. This was another good reason to dive shallow! And the also the best way to shoot sunbursts. A fisheye lens and two powerful strobes are the way to go. A half-half shot can be very rewarding as well (my target for my next trip there).

Whale sharks are residents in Triton Bay when the fishing platforms are operating. So just relax and understand the way they are swimming, preset your camera and strobes, and be ready … they will come to you! Again … take a big dome for half-half pictures with whale sharks and the fishing platform.

I was really impressed about the variety of pygmy sea horses in Triton Bay. This was the real highlight of Triton Bay as my macro point of view. Many different kind of Denise, Bargibanti, and Pontoi as well. And all these three species in the same dive sites! With such abundance of pygmy, and only one dive center with very few divers, the pygmy seahorses are very relaxed and cooperative (try to avoid using a focus light). And seafans with open polyps give a special bonus to the shot. When the polyps are closed it is better to use your stronger additional macro lens to take a detailed supermacro shot. Another highlight are diving to shoot the flasher wrasse. Very challenging as they are fast moving and flash the dorsal fin very quickly. So, use of continuos autofocus is a must. Very interesting were the night dives and all the other macro possibilities. A good place for nudibranch lovers for sure. Don’t forget your snoot to create special light for your subject.

I think the best reason to get there is the feeling of sitting on the edge of the world, to be a pioneer in the last dive frontier … but, with the full comfort of Triton Bay Dive Resort.